The Individual and the Whole book 1 chap 6

The Principles of Nature
and its ethical implications

1. Common nature and unique
individuality
2. Interconnection,
interrelation and
interdependence between
all the individual entities of
the universe
3. Individual purpose and
purpose for the whole
CHAPTER 6 THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE WHOLE: INTERCONNECTION,
INTERRELATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE
4. Complementarity between
individual purpose and purpose for
the whole
5. The universality of order in nature
and human society
6. Interdependence and mutual
cooperation between the different
living organisms and physical
systems of nature

In the physical and biological sciences, there
has always been a debate between reductionists
and holists, ones emphasizing that things should
be explained by reducing them to their simpler
parts, while others emphasize that systems and
organisms have their own laws or purposes that
cannot be explained from the parts.
This same debate occurs in the social sciences
among those who favor a methodological
individualism, who think that it is necessary to
start from the desires, preferences or rational
choice of the individuals to explain the society,
and functionalists, who consider that social
structures and institutions have their own laws
and purposes that influence and condition
individuals.
INTRODUCTION
An almost identical debate occurs in the field of
ethics between those that highlight the
conscience, autonomy and individual rights and
those that, instead, emphasize the duties towards
the community, which in politics it is translated
into the debate between liberals and socialists, or
between individualists and communitarians.
In this chapter, we will try to study first the
unique characteristics of individuals in relation to a
shared common nature; second, to understand
how individuals interact with the whole; and
thirdly to see if in nature there are principles that
can harmonize the individualistic and holistic
visions, which seem to appear opposite and
contradictory.

 Common nature in human beings
 A mental and material common nature
 The differentiation in men and women in humanity
 Masculinity and femininity, and the differences between
men and women
 Divine and cosmic dimension of conjugal love
 Common nature in other beings and things
 Differences between humans and other creatures
 The unique and unrepeatable individuality of human beings
 The special dignity and the intrinsic value of each person
 Principle of the unique identity
COMMON NATURE AND UNIQUE INDIVIDUALITY

Nature has dressed us with two persons, a common one and a particular one
«We must also reflect that nature has, so to speak, dressed us
with two persons: a common one, which is why we all
participate in reason and that nobility with which we exceed the
irrational, from which results the knowledge to find the
obligations and keep the decorum; and the other particular,
which is like the emblem of each individual.
For as we observe in bodies so much diversity, that some are
purposely by their lightness to run, others by their strength to
fight, and likewise in faces, in some grace and in others a
majestic seriousness; so also in the souls there are even greater
dissimilarities.»
Cicero, Los oficios o los deberes, Editorial Porrúa, México, 1990, p. 31.
Cicero explains
the common
nature and unique
individuality with
his own terms in
this quote:

Although everyone has eyes, nose and mouth,
the different size, color, arrangement and relative
proportion between these same elements make the
face of each individual unique.
Likewise, although we all possess the same
mental capacities, basic desires and creativity, there
are differences of temperaments and talents that
makes each one of us possess a unique personality.
For example, one can see that there are more
sensitive and emotional people gifted with artistic
talents; others more intellectual with scientific
concerns; and other more willful ones with an
inclination towards practical activities.
Thus, each individual has a physical constitution,
semblance, temperament, talents and personality
unique and unrepeatable.
In addition to sharing a largely homogeneous
nature, each individual human being has
peculiar and unique characteristics. Out of the
billions of people on earth, you cannot find two
people exactly identical.

Common nature in human beings
Like all living beings
and things in the
universe, all human
beings possess a
common, essential and
fundamental nature that
consists of a mental and
a corporal aspect.
At the same time we are differentiated in
men and women. Something similar happens
with the male and female animals, or the
stamen and pistil in the plants.
Mental and
corporal aspects
Men and women

We all have a basically homogenous common nature that
is composed of a mental and a bodily aspect. As far as the
corporal aspect is concerned, we all have the same organs
and limbs, that is, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, head, trunk,
hands and legs, and the same physical needs, such as
breathing and eating food. In the mental aspect we also
possess the same capacities to think, feel and make
decisions, as well as the same basic desires to know,
appreciate beauty and act correctly.
In other words, we all have the same level of mental
processes.These mental processes are precisely those that
allow us to have a wide margin of autonomy or freedom, and
a great inventiveness or creativity, which is expressed in the
ability to communicate through an articulated language and
in all cultural, technical, scientific, artistic and normative
productions and creations.
A mental and material common nature

The differentiation in men and women in humanity
Human beings, like most living
beings, are also differentiated in
men and women, but this
differentiation is not basic or
fundamental, because ―despite
the biological and psychological
differences between them― both
men and women have exactly the
same mental capacities,
autonomy, creativity, desires,
aspirations and basic physical
needs.

«When we study the universe, we
see that all beings exist by forming
reciprocal relationships between
masculine (yang) and feminine (yin).
This holds in all cases.
On the level of minerals, the
bonding of positive and negative ions
forms molecules. In plants, existence
and propagation occur through the
cooperation of pistil and stamen.
This duality is even more pronounced in animals. Birds,
mammals, and all other types of animals exist as male and
female. Finally, we human beings, who are God’s highest
creation, are differentiated as men and women. (…)
For what purpose did God create the universe with
duality?The Creator separated all things into masculine
and feminine so that the two could join by giving and
receiving love.All species increase their numbers and
carry on life through acts of love.»
Sun Myung Moon, Speech Collection Books, Seoul, HSA-UWC,
201:204-05, (April 9, 1990).
The universe exists in the form of complementary masculine (yang) and feminine (yin)
couples so that they can unite by giving and receiving love and being happy together
According to Sun Myung Moon:

Masculinity and femininity, and the differences between men and women
Unlike traditional Chinese philosophy which tend to
substantialize the concepts ofYang andYin qualifying, for
example, man asYang and woman asYin, in the
UnificationThought Yang andYin are secondary attributes
or qualities present, to a greater or lesser degree, in the
corporal and mental aspects of both man and woman,
and other beings and things.
Thus, the masculinity and femininity that characterize
men and women cannot be directly identified with the
Yang andYin aspects of mind and body (clarity/obscurity,
lucidity/vagueness, joy/sadness, active/passive,
strong/weak, hard/soft, concave/convex, etc.). And much
less use these opposite qualities to justify a difference in
value or dignity of man and woman, as occurs in ancient
philosophies and cultures.
Mind
Body
Yang
Yin
Yang
Yin

How, then, can the masculine character or masculinity and the feminine character or
femininity be defined in relation to theYang andYin facets?
At the biological or corporal level, despite a
quite homogeneous common biological
constitution, there are obvious differences
between men and women, such as chromosomal
differences, the hormones and, above all, the
sexual organs, apart from other aspects of the
female body adequate to her role of
motherhood and childrearing.
So it can be said that, although there areYang
attributes andYin attributes in the body of a
man and a woman, there is a relatively higher
proportion ofYin attributes in the woman's
body, and ofYang attributes in the man's body.
Corporal aspects

In the mental aspect, both men and women have the
same intellectual, emotional and volitional capacities, as
well as the same basic desires and aspirations to acquire
knowledge, appreciate beauty and act well, and have love
relationships with their loved ones. And, of course, both
have the same dignity and value as human beings.
However, there are certain qualitative differences with
respect to theYang/Yin facets of their mental faculties.
To give some examples, generally the masculine intellect
focuses on questions of general scope, or in synthesizing
more and more universal principles, and the feminine
intellect is oriented more in analyzing the concrete details
and the circumstances. In addition, men have more
capacity for visual-spatial processing and skill with number
management, and women have more capacity in verbal
processing and language skills.
Mental aspects

Therefore, it could be said that feminine
character or femininity is a differentiated
and qualified expression of theYang/Yin
facets of human mind, with a certainYin
stamp. And masculine character or
masculinity is another differentiated and
qualified expression of the sameYang/Yin
facets of human mind, with a certainYang
mark.
Both characters, masculine and
feminine, are opposite and at the same
time complementary, which makes men
and women feel a great attraction and
mutual fascination, and they can help and
support each other.
As for emotions, women have greater
emotional empathy and ability to express
her feelings of joy and sadness, laughter and
crying, while man internalizes more his
emotions.There is also a qualitative
difference between maternal love, more
complacent and unconditional towards her
children, and parental love, more
demanding and conditioned by the
fulfillment of his expectations.
Regarding the volitional aspects, man
shows a more aggressive, impulsive and
independent will, and woman shows a
greater delicacy, reflection and dependence
in her decisions.

However, in the same way that there areYang/Yin
facets within man and woman, in both certain masculine
and feminine aspects also coexist. Carl Jung affirmed that
within the psyche of man there are feminine qualities in a
latent state (animus), and within the soul of the woman
there is a masculine part in a latent state (anima).
Apart from the generic considerations about masculine
and feminine character, it can be observed that there are
men with a marked masculine character, and others
more sensitive and feminine.There are also delicate and
feminine women, and others stronger or manly.The
same can be said about the masculine and feminine traits
of the mind. All men and women have the capacity to
develop the traits that are the strengths of the opposite
sex. For this reason there are numerous examples of
women who have excelled in all fields of science, arts,
religion, economics and politics.
Hipatia
Helen Keller Marie Curie
Catherine the Great
Joan
of
Arc
Ada Lovelace

«A feminine nature is found latent in man,
and a masculine nature is found latent in
woman (…)
As God possesses dual characteristics
[masculine and feminine] , He can dwell in
woman as well as in man. Similarly, despite
their respective predominant features,
husbands and wives can dwell in each other’s
hearts by virtue of the dual characteristics
latent in them. They are one and inseparable.»
Sun Myung Moon, Speech Collection Books, Seoul,
HSA-UWC, 256-58, (March 12, 1994).
Man and the woman can dwell in the hearts of their partners and form an inseparable
unit because in both there are male and female latent aspects
According to Sun Myung
Moon,God can dwell within the
hearts of man and woman
because, by gathering within
Himself the essence of
masculinity and femininity, He
has a deep paternal and maternal
heart.
The husband and the wife can
also form an inseparable unit
because in both there are latent
male and female aspects.

According to the UnificationThought, the union of husband and wife has an enormous divine and
cosmic meaning:
«First, husband and wife each represent one of
God's dual characteristics of yang and yin.
Accordingly, their conjugal union signifies the
manifestation ofGod.
Second, the original union of a couple represents
the final stage of God's creation, demonstrating the
completion of the creation of the universe.God's
ultimate purpose in creating the universe is the
appearance of human beings who have proper
dominion over all things.
Third, husband and wife each originally represent
half of humankind. In a couple, the husband
represents masculine humanity and the wife
represents feminine humanity.Thus, their union
represents the unity of all of humankind.
Fourth, originally, husband and wife each
represent half of the world family.Within the
family, the husband represents all men and the
wife represents all women.Thus, their union
represents the perfection of the family.
When seen from this perspective, the loving
union of husband and wife signifiesGod's
manifestation in that family and the completion of
the creation of the universe. It also demonstrates
the unity of humankind and perfection of the
family. Hence, the union of husband and wife is
indeed a precious and sacred union with divine
value.»
An Introduction to theThought of Sun Myung Moon, RIUWT,
USA, 2003, p. 61.

Divine and cosmic dimension of conjugal love
Manifestation
of God
Consummation
of the creation
of the universe
Unity of
humanity
Perfection of
the family
Husband Wife
God

When we descend to the level of the
higher animals and in general of the rest of
the living beings, we can see that all living
organisms share the common nature of
possessing a mental and material aspect,
which can even extend to the world of
molecules, atoms and particles.
The difference is that as one descends
into the scale of living beings, the mental
processes are also descending to a lower
level. For example, it can reasonably be
supposed that higher animals can have a
certain degree of consciousness, a certain
capacity for understanding, judgment and
choice, and even an emotional and
affective sensitivity.
But they lack a self-reflexive consciousness and
reason, in the Kantian sense.That is, the most
intuitive and reflexive capacity to make inferences
and deduce from specific cases general principles
and laws.
For this reason, it can be seen that the
autonomy and creativity of animals is dramatically
different from that of humans, as evidenced by
their inability to elaborate an articulated language
and to emulate the great technical, scientific and
artistic productions of the humans.
And, similar to humans, there is a
differentiation in male and female animals,
stamen and pistil in plants, and protons and
electrons in atoms.
Common nature in other beings and things

There are curious and significant differences
between humans and animals.Although we have a
greater consciousness and mental capacity, we are
the only beings that at birth and for a longer period
of time we find ourselves more defenseless and in
need of attention and care, much more than the
rest of the animals.
Nature has provided us with very few innate
instincts, and therefore we need to follow a process
of learning through education and experience,
while animals have, almost from their birth, strong
and marked natural instincts, characteristic of their
species, thanks to which they can manage by
themselves long before man, without having to
receive education or learn from experience. Fromm
remarks this fact in the following quote.
«Man is born without the equipment for
appropriate action which the animal
possesses; he is dependent on his parents for
a longer time than any animal, and his
reactions to his surroundings are less quick
and less effective than the automatically
regulated instinctive actions are.
He goes through all the dangers and fears
which this lack of instinctive equipment
implies.Yet this very helplessness of man is
the basis from which human development
springs; man's biological weakness is the
condition of human culture.»
Erich Fromm, The Fear of Freedom, Routledge Classics,
London, 2001, p. 27.
Differences between humans and other creatures

That is, this early independence of animals —which
seems an initial advantage— becomes latter a
disadvantage because they are highly conditioned by
strong innate instincts.This is something that can be
appreciated very well in animal behavior patterns, which
are usually periodic and repetitive, such as food hunting,
mating, nest building and offspring.
On the other hand, in the human being that apparent
disadvantage, which implies his initial helplessness and
dependence due to the lack of innate instincts, becomes
latter —once he learns through education and
experience— a great advantage, because we get to enjoy
greater independence, freedom and innovative creativity
not conditioned by innate repetitive instincts.

There are marked differences between
humans and animals.We have been
endowed with a great autonomy, freedom
and responsibility to develop our own
potential in a creative and unique way.
On the other hand, animals —unlike
humans— lack that potential and ability to
model their own personality, because they
are controlled by rigid and repetitive innate
instincts.Thus, its value lies more in the
value of each species as a whole than in its
individual members.

However, higher animals also show certain
unique individual characteristics, although to
a lesser extent than human individuals do.
As one descends on the scale of living
beings, these unique individual
characteristics fade to be almost confused
with the unique characteristics of the
species.
In the mineral world, the unique individual
characteristics of the materials are already
exactly identical to the characteristics of the
simple chemical elements that make up that
material, without any individualization.
Thus, for example, a piece of pure gold is
exactly like any other piece.

Something in which scientific, philosophical and
religious tradition coincide is in recognizing that
human beings possess a unique value, that is, a
unique and unrepeatable individuality.
Despite sharing a common biological and psychic
nature, each human individual has unique
characteristics that differentiate him from the rest
of the individuals, both in his physiological structure
or external appearance as in his character qualities
or innate talents, which gives him an extraordinary
value.
Humans could resemble unique, unrepeatable
and irreplaceable pieces of great machinery, which
have a value equivalent to the whole, because
without these unique pieces the machinery would
not function properly or be complete.
From the religious perspective, as
stated in the Divine Principle, it could be
said that each human person was created
by God with a unique, unrepeatable and
irreplaceable personality in order to be
able to love him in a unique, personal and
exclusive way, in the same way that
parents feel a unique joy in loving each of
their sons and daughters, who are for
them unique, unrepeatable and
irreplaceable treasures that are priceless.
Divine Principle, Part I, Chap.VII, Sec. I.
The unique and unrepeatable individuality of human beings

The unique and unrepeatable individuality of human beings
Unlike animals and plants, whose unique individual characteristics lessen until they are equated
with the unique characteristics of the species to which they belong, each human individual has
marked and unrepeatable unique characteristics, as is well expressed in the following quote from the
UnificationThought:
«The Individual Image manifests the
specific human nature in three different ways.
First, there is the particularity of our bodily
and facial features.
Second, there is each person's peculiar type
of behavior.
Third, there is one's particular creative
expression.This does not only refer to artistic
creativity, but also to every type of activity
through which we express our creative ability.
God feels pleased when looking upon
each individual human being because each
person gives unique beauty to him through
features, behavior, and creative activity.
This is the beauty of individuality, which
includes the specific beauty of features,
behavior, and creative expression.»
An Introduction to theThought of Sun Myung
Moon,The Research Institute for the Integration of
WorldThought, HSA Publications, NewYork, 2003,
p. 63.

Admirable
Chameleon
Unlike animals, the human
being is configured so that he can
mold himself —in a free and
responsible way— developing his
potential innate talents.
Man is like a chameleon, a rough
diamond that has the
responsibility of carving or
perfecting himself in order to
create a unique work of art, as Pico
Della Mirandola says in his famous
Oration on the Dignity of Man.
«I have not given you, ohAdam, a definite seat or a special
appearance, or any function of your own.The seat or the
appearance or the function which you want, you may have and
keep by your own desire and your own counsel.The other
creatures have a defined nature which is fixed within limits
prescribed by me.
You, unhampered, may determine your own limits according to
your own will, into whose power I have placed you. I have set you
in the center of the world; from there you can better see whatever
is in the world.
I have made you neither heavenly nor terrestrial, neither mortal
nor immortal, in order that, like a free and sovereign artificer, you
can fashion your own form out of your own substance.You can
degenerate to the lower orders of the brutes; you can, according
to your own will, recreate yourself in those higher creatures which
are divine. (...)Who will not admire our chameleon?Or rather, who
will admire anything more?»
Pico Della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity of Man,The Renaissance Philosophy of
Man, University of Chicago Press, 1948, pp. 224-225.

This unique personality of each individual,
whose genetic basis lies in the unique
character of their DNA is not lost despite the
influence of the environmental
circumstances.
During a person's growth period, it is
evident that the climate and the place where
he lives, the food he eats and other
environmental circumstances influence his
physical constitution, but what the
environment cannot do is to convert one
person to another.
People are easily recognizable by their
unique facial expression in spite of the
changes produced by the passage of time or
diseases.
Environmental conditions may in the long run produce
deeper transformations, such as microevolution
phenomena, or biological mechanisms of adaptation to
the environment, which were the ones that gave rise to
the differences between human races. But even these
changes have not altered the unique characteristics of the
human species nor those of its individuals.
That is why it is absurd to speak —as Social Darwinists
and Nazi did— of higher and more evolved races and less
developed races, in order to justify wars and colonialism
by saying that these are processes of natural selection or
struggle for the survival of the fittest.
All persons of any color of skin or race possess an
equivalent human nature and an equally valuable unique
individuality.
DNA and the influence of environmental circumstances

In the Enlightenment, the idea that education
largely conform the character and way of being of
people became very popular.
It is evident that the family and social
circumstances, the cultural environment of the
time in which one lives, the studies and the
education received, the work that is performed and
the personal experiences influence the formation
of the character or the personality of people.
However, they do not to the point of modifying
that unique congenital individuality. In addition, we
must take into account that the human being has
sufficient autonomy and creativity to not let
oneself be influenced by others, make their own
decisions and even change their social
circumstances.
This type of enlightened ideas, carried to
an extreme, made believe communist
dictators like Stalin that people were
completely conditioned by the social system,
and that they could be eliminated if they
refused to cooperate with the revolution,
with the same tranquility that cattle afflicted
with an infectious disease is sacrificed.
Also, current Darwinian biologists strive to
homologate us with animals —denying the
value of our unique individuality and special
dignity— ignoring or minimizing the great
differences that exist between the other
species and ours. All these stops to show that
we come from the monkeys.With them, we
run the risk of becoming guinea pigs in their
hands.
The influence of education and social circumstances

By possessing unique individual characteristics, peculiar and
unrepeatable, and because we are beings we have been endowed
with a great autonomy, freedom and responsibility to develop our
own potential in a creative and unique way, we have always sensed
that we have a special dignity and a great intrinsic value as a
person, and not only as a member of the human species.This belief
is the foundation upon which the defense of modern human rights
is based.
Therefore, there are sufficient reasons to maintain the
assumption that the human being has been endowed with a
unique and irreplaceable personality, and hence, carries a special
dignity and an intrinsic value as an individual.This supposition has
ethical implications very beneficial for the human being, certainly
much more than the supposition that we are homologous to
animals.
The special dignity and the intrinsic value of each person

The special dignity and intrinsic value that distinguishes
human beings from the rest of the creatures and objects,
from a scientific point of view, can be recognized due to the
fact that —despite sharing a biological nature very similar to
the rest of the living beings— humans stand out for their
ability to perform mental processes of a level far superior to
them (ability to conceptualize, infer general laws, make a
speech, etc.) and for possessing a higher degree of self-
awareness (ability to reflect on ourselves).
And also because humans have the highest degree of
autonomy, freedom and creativity to pursue their own goals
and transform their environment.
Beings with capacity to perform mental processes of higher level and with
higher degree of self-awareness

The intrinsic value and human dignity,
from a purely rationalist or humanistic
philosophical perspective, is recognized by
the fact that every human being has a
common human nature in which reason
stands out, which enables us to have, unlike
animals, the ability to speak and dialogue
with other human beings, and also to be
endowed with freedom and responsibility to
develop our own character and direct our
lives.
Beings with capacity for speech, dialogue, freedom and responsibility

From the religious point of view, all religions share
the belief that all human beings possess a special
dignity and a sacred or divine value.
According to biblical tradition, this sacred value
derives from the fact that they were created as sons
and daughters of God in His image and likeness; and
according to other traditions, for being the bearers of
a logos or soul that is a part or spark of the same and
common Logos,Tao or Absolute Spirit, which is the
Ultimate Reality or the Cosmic Principle that governs
the universe.
For all these reasons, we have always sensed that
each human being has a special dignity and a great
intrinsic value as an individual, and not only as a
member of the human species.
This belief in the special dignity of
human beings is the foundation of the
concepts of human equality and
freedom, as well as of the current
defense of human rights.
The special dignity and sacred value of people from religious perspective

Principle of subsistence and preservation of the unique
identity of individuals and species, despite change,
transformation, growth and development. This unique
identity in the case of human beings is expressed in each
person in the form of a personality and unique and
unrepeatable individual characteristics, which is what gives
them a special dignity and an innate value, and in the case of
other living beings and things, the identity is manifested in
the unique characteristics of their species or class.
PRINCIPLE OF THE UNIQUE IDENTITY

 From the smallest things to the biggest
 From the simplest things to the most complex
beings
 The centrality of human beings
 The metaphor of man as the ultimate goal,
center and microcosm of the universe
 All individual entities are interdependent and
interrelated, and form a chain of ever larger and
more complex individuals thus constituting the
whole cosmos, which is similar to a great
individual
INTERCONNECTION, INTERRELATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE
BETWEEN ALL THE INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES OF THE UNIVERSE
 The metaphor of the cosmos's
resemblance to a great
individual
 At home in the plasma universe
 The double dimension,
individual and relational
(social), of all beings and things
of the universe

INTERCONNECTION, INTERRELATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE
BETWEEN ALL THE INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES OF THE UNIVERSE
«Meditate often on the cohesion of all that exists in the world and in the
close relationships that keep things. In a sense, all of them are intertwined with
each other and so are friends.They hold each other thanks to the impulse of
movement and the common breath and union of the substance.»
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations,VI, 38, EdicionesTemas de Hoy, Madrid, 1994.
«From whence came the myriads of galaxies, stars and planets, the crystals
and clouds, the living organisms? How have they been arranged in such
harmonious and ingenious interdependence?The cosmos, its awesome
immensity, its rich diversity of forms, and above all its coherent unity, cannot
be accepted simply as a brute fact.»
Paul Davies, The Cosmic Blueprint,Templeton Foundation Press, USA, 2004, p. 3.
«In the universe, everything is linked and related, from the minutest things to
the largest.»
Sun Myung Moon, Speech Collection Books, Seoul, HSA-UWC, 16:119 (January 2, 1966).
This assumption
defended in antiquity
by the Stoics is today
corroborated by
science and is also an
essential postulate of
UnificationThought,
as is clear from these
quotes of Marcus
Aurelius, Davies and
Sun Myung Moon.

From the smallest things to the biggest
When you observe the process of formation and
evolution of the universe, you can clearly see how
the individual entities were uniting and forming
larger and larger groups of units.
For example, sub particles called leptons and
quarks were joined by interactions of forces, thus
forming the different types of particles, which are
basically the protons and neutrons that constitute
the nucleus of atoms and electrons that form an
electronic layer around them.
The particles were then united again by
interactions of attractive and repulsive forces
constituting different types of atoms, starting with
the simplest, the hydrogen atom, which is
composed of a proton and an electron.
Later on, the different types of atoms
were again joined together by chemical
bonds, thus building up molecules and
larger molecular structures.
These chemical elements then were
united again into larger clusters, such as
fixed stars and planets that constitute
the basic units of the universe, apart
from other celestial bodies such as
satellites, comets, asteroids, or
meteorites, and a large mass of
interstellar matter composed of gases,
ice and dust, and multiple streams of
different types of radiation and plasmas.

Later, suns and planets were united again by
a balance of centrifugal and centripetal forces,
organized by the gravitational field, giving rise
to planetary systems. As is the case of our solar
system which is an ordered structure of planets
that rotate on their own axis while they revolve
around the sun.
But, in addition to that, it can be observed
that the solar system, together with other solar
systems circle around a cluster of stars that is
located in the center of our galaxy, constituting
a larger unit or organized structure in the form
of a spiral that is our galaxy or milky way.

From the simplest things to the most complex beings
In the universe there is not only this chain of
individual entities that constitute larger and larger
units in a quantitative and spatial sense —ranging from
the microscopic scale of subparticles to the
macroscopic scale of galaxies— but there is also
another ordered gradation in a qualitative sense that
starts from simple units or systems and that goes up
by a scale of organisms more and more organized and
complex.
The hydrogen atom, formed by a proton and an
electron, is the simplest and most abundant atom in a
universe estimated to be composed of 90% hydrogen,
9% helium, the atom that follows it in simplicity, and a
1% of the remaining atoms and more complex
molecules. Curiously, this composition of matter in the
universe is similar to the composition of the sun.
It is assumed that inside the stars the
nuclei of the atoms of the heaviest
elements originated, which later joined
together forming increasingly complex
molecular structures.
The main elements that appeared in
order of complexity —and which are also
the most abundant— are helium, oxygen,
nitrogen, carbon and iron, the latter having
the most stable nucleus.

All these elements are the basic materials
needed to build and maintain the existence
of cells and living things.
Hydrogen is the source of energy or fuel in
the universe, since the energy released by
the sun and stars —so necessary for living
organisms— comes from the nuclear fusion
of hydrogen, which is slowly consumed and
converted into helium.
The main gases of the Earth's atmosphere
—also vital for living organisms— are
nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide, the
latter composed of one carbon atom and
two of oxygen.
Water, which is a molecule composed of two
atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen, is an
essential component of cells and organisms.
Carbon is the fundamental atom of all complex
molecular structures, such as carbon hydrates and
proteins that make up the essential material or
bricks of cells and organisms, and the earth's core is
composed of liquid iron.
Hydrogen atom Water molecule Carbon atom

Then, from the more complex molecular
structures —through guided or organized
interactions by means of life fields— cells were
created. Firstly, in the form of viruses, bacteria and
single-celled organisms.
A cell, despite its microscopic size and looking
like a single drop of water, is actually a more
complex system than the solar system. It consists of
the nucleus, the essential component of which is
DNA —a complex molecule of helicoidal
deoxyribonucleic acid containing the genetic
information of the living being— and the cytoplasm.
A cell is like the basic building block or brick of life
and, at the same time, it is also the factory and
assembly line of living things, because of its ability
to divide and multiply itself.
Thus, later, more complex multicellular
organisms were formed from the division and
multiplication of a stem cell or embryo.
These increasingly complex living organisms
are constituted by different organs and tissues
that act together, fulfilling each of them with a
specific function necessary for the life of the
whole of the organism.

All living organisms are integrated into
the global system formed by the sun and
the earth, whose terrestrial dimension is
commonly called biosphere and that
works through cooperation or exchanges
between living elements and living
organisms, such as the cycles of water,
oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Different levels of living organisms
form colonies integrated into a large
variety of organized ecosystems, in which
minerals serve as food for plants and
plants, and these in turn serve as food to
populations of herbivorous animals,
which in turn serve of sustenance to
predators.
It can also be observed that, as living organisms
become increasingly complex, they have a greater
autonomy and creativity, thus showing higher levels of
consciousness and mental processes.
This process has culminated in human beings, who are
the most complex living organisms, and who possess the
highest levels of mental processes and self-awareness, as
well as a greater degree of autonomy, freedom and
creativity.

From the simplest things to the most
complex beings

The centrality of human beings
Although we have a microscopic size
when we compare with the dimensions of
galaxies, and although we inhabit a humble
planet of one of the innumerable galaxies of
the universe, we can consider ourselves as
the ultimate fruit of the evolution of the
universe.
This is because we are the organized
systems of maximum complexity, far
superior to the complexity of the galactic
systems, and with a level of mental
processes that qualifies us to occupy that
central position as the “observers” that has
the capacity to know, to study and to value
the universe as a whole.This is very well
expressed in the following quote from the
Divine Principle:
«If there were no people to appreciate the universe,
then it could be likened to a museum without any
visitors.The articles on display in a museum attain
their true value and are cherished as historical relics
only when there are people who appreciate, love and
take delight in them.
Their relationship with human beings gives value to
their existence. If there were no one to appreciate
them, then what meaning would their existence have?
The same holds true for the universe, whose lords are
human beings. (…)
The diverse things in creation enter into mutual
relationships with a common purpose when human
beings discover the source and nature of matter, and
when they identify and classify plants and animals of
the water, land and air, and all the stars in the sky.»
Divine Principle, Part I, Chap. I, Sec. II, 3.4.

“The cosmos is a specially designed whole with life and mankind as a
fundamental goal and purpose”
«All the evidence available in
the biological sciences supports
the core proposition of
traditional natural theology -
that the cosmos is a specially
designed whole with life and
mankind as a fundamental goal
and purpose, a whole in which all
facets of reality, from the size of
galaxies to the thermal capacity
of water, have their meaning and
explanation in this central fact.
Four centuries after the scientific
revolution apparently destroyed
irretrievably man's special place in
the universe, banished Aristotle,
and rendered teleological
speculation obsolete, the relentless
stream of discovery has turned
dramatically in favor of teleology
and design, and the doctrine of the
microcosm is reborn.»
Michael J. Denton, Nature’s Destiny: How the
Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe,
The Free Press, NewYork, 1998, p. 389.
Biologist Michael
J. Denton abounds
in this same opinion
and speaks of the
rebirth of the old
doctrine of man as
microcosm.

The metaphor of man as the
ultimate goal, center and microcosm
of the universe
In fact, now the classical ancient view of man
as the ultimate goal, center and microcosm of
the universe is being re-established.This is
because, although man does not live —as was
previously believed— in the center of the
universe, there is indications that he is the center
because of his complexity, for including within
him all lower strata and because it seems that
the universe was constituted as it is so that those
who could know and appreciate the universe
could appear and live in it.
Therefore, it is not unreasonable to attribute a
cosmic and sacred value to every human being,
as many philosophers intuitively defended from
the earliest antiquity, as is clear from the
following quotations:

Each man is an image of God in miniature.
Manilio 4, 895
For this reason man is called microcosm,
because there is in him a similarity to the
whole universe.
While his body is on the scale of the bodily
world, his soul is in the rank of the spiritual
world.
In this sense, philosophers, defining
philosophy, said that philosophy is the
knowledge of man, of his soul, since starting
from his own knowledge man knows the
totality (of the existing).
Ibn Saddiq, Microcosm
Man is a world in miniature.
Democritus, Frag. 34
Man is a sacred thing for man.
Seneca, Epistles 95, 33
Man is the intermediary of all
creatures, related to the superiors, king
of the inferiors, by the insight of his
senses, by the inquisitive penetration of
his reason, by the light of his intelligence,
interpreter of nature, intersection of the
stable eternity with the flowing time, and
dome of the world.
Pico Della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity of
Man

In the realm of the ends, everything has
a price or a dignity.
That which has price can be replaced by
something equivalent; on the other hand,
that which is above all price [the human
being] and, therefore, does not admit
anything equivalent, that has a dignity.
Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals
In what a wonderful way man has been
created and configured, when one
penetrates into his true being ... and in his
greatness —think about this— that there is
nothing in heaven or on earth that is not
found in man.
Paracelsus, EssentialTexts
An individual human being is more precious
than the universe. Each person’s value is
infinite, because he or she is created as God’s
partner of love.
Sun Myung Moon
A human being is a small universe, the
microcosm of the great universe of God’s
creation. God, the Source of the great
universe, is also the source of our energy.
As small individual universes, each of us
stands in the presence of the great universe
and receives its energy into our heart.Thus,
we are connected to a source of unending
power, and as its counterpart we are endowed
with cosmic value.
Sun Myung Moon

All individual entities are interdependent and interrelated, and form a chain of
ever larger and more complex individuals thus constituting the whole cosmos,
which is similar to a great individual
A first conclusion to be drawn from these
observations is that individuals do not exist in an
isolated or completely independent manner.
All individual entities are interdependent with each
other and are interrelated and interconnected, and
form a chain of ever larger and more complex
individuals.
A second conclusion is that the concept of individual
is relative, since individual entities are forming other
larger units or individuals, which are composed of
individual entities that even maintain their own
individual existence and a certain independence of
their own.
Therefore, it could be said that the
universe is formed by a chain of
individuals, whom, while maintaining
their own individual existence and a
certain independence, are uniting
and forming other individuals who
are ever larger and more complex,
until they form the whole cosmos
that is like a great individual or a
great organism.

The whole Universe is an individual,
that is, like a person, and each of the
corporeal and spiritual beings, eternal
or corruptible, is a member and part of
that great individual.
Judah Leon, Dialogues of love
When he reached such a degree of
knowledge, he discovered that the
whole celestial orb, as well as what
contained in it, was as one thing,
united and intertwined its parts... and
that all looked very much like an
individual.
IbnTufayl,The Self-Taught Philosopher
We are members of a large body.
Seneca, Epistles, 95, 52,
You must know that this universe,
considered as a whole, constitutes as a
single individuality, and nothing more; I
mean, the globe of the supreme heaven,
with all its content, is, no doubt, an
individual.
Mose Ben Maimon,The Guide for the Perplexed
The metaphor of the cosmos's
resemblance to a great individual
The vision of the universe as an orderly
cosmos resembling a great individual is also
a commonplace in all the cultural,
philosophical and religious traditions of the
past.

At home in the plasma universe
Curiously, the most recent scientific
cosmological models, such as plasma models,
coincide in considering the universe as a large
interconnected body. Recent discoveries reveal
that the seemingly empty spaces of the universe
are interspersed by large interstellar and
intergalactic currents of dark ionized matter —
mainly composed of hydrogen ions, free
electrons, and other types of radiations or sub
particles— which is designated by the generic
name of plasma.
These large interstellar currents of electrified
matter, generated by enormous magnetic fields
and which in turn generate their own subfields,
form giant filaments or strings that connect
stars within a galaxy and even to different
galaxies.
Therefore, the whole universe would be very
similar to a large organism organized and
interconnected by invisible magnetic fields that
generate enormous rivers or currents of energy
plasma, in the form of giant filaments or strings
that intertwine stars and galaxies.
This view that shows that there is a great
similarity or analogy between the structure of the
universe and that of our own body makes us feel
more at home compared to the cold feeling of
solitude and isolation that inspired the traditional
scientific vision, which regarded us as an
insignificant speck of microscopic dust drifting in
the midst of an immense empty space.
Anthony Peratt and G. Carroll Streit, At Home in the Plasma
Universe, article published inThe World and I, September 1999,
p. 183, Washington. US.

The double dimension, individual and relational (social), of all beings
and things of the universe
A third consequence of these
observations is that all individual
entities appear to have a double
dimension; One individual and
another relational or social.
That is, at the same time of being
individual entities that maintain their
own existence and have a certain
independence, they are also
relational or social entities
interdependent and interconnected
with each other.
Humans, despite having a strong individual
dimension, are also relational or social beings
with a strong natural and innate tendency to
live in community, forming families, tribes,
clans, societies and nations.
Today, we can see how these communities
and nations, which throughout history had
lived in isolation, are increasingly
interdependent and tend towards the
formation of a global community through a
process of globalization of all aspects of
culture.

INDIVIDUAL PURPOSE AND PURPOSE FOR THE WHOLE
«All beings are interconnected through a set
of dual purposes. At the center of each entity,
there are dual purposes.
There is the purpose relating to its internal
character [mind] that seeks the good of the
larger whole, and there is the purpose relating
to its external form [body] that seeks the
entity's own preservation and comfort.»
Sun Myung Moon, The Significance of the Inauguration of the Sun Moon
Peace Cup, Little Angels Performing Arts Center, Seoul, Korea (June 12,
2002).
As is clear from this quote
from Sun Myung Moon, the
claim that all beings are
interconnected by these two
purposes is an essential
assumption of Unification
Thought.

The particular end and
the end for the whole
The existence of these
dual purposes, expressed in
various terms, is also an
assumption widely shared
by many philosophical and
religious traditions.
Generally, it is based on
the belief that the universe
is like a great organism or
body, whose parts fulfill
both a particular end and
an end for the whole or
common good. Judah Leon
expresses this in a poetic
way.
«The entire universe is an individual, that is, as if it were a person,
and each of the beings... is member and part of that great individual,
having been produced all of him and each one of his parts by God for
a common end for the whole and a particular end of each of the
parts...
The end of the whole is the unitary perfection of the universe,
drawn by the divine architect.The end of each part is not only the
perfection of the part itself, but also to serve with rectitude to the
perfection of the whole... For this common aim was created, ordered
and dedicated each part, rather than for the particular objective...
This is why the parts feels happier for the common than for the own,
in the same way as in a human individual, in whom the perfection of one
of its parts, such as the eye or the hand, does not consist exclusively or
fundamentally in that the eye or the hand are beautiful, or that the eye
sees enough or the hand performs many arts, but it is before all and
primarily that the eye sees and the hand do what is appropriate for the
benefit of the whole person.»
León Hebreo, Diálogos de amor, PPU, Barcelona, 1986, p. 315-316.

Observing the universe, you can see that
smaller individual entities come together and
form larger units or individuals.
Particles join and form atoms; atoms join again
and form increasingly complex molecular
structures, which are the basis of all kinds of
inorganic and organic matter.
All living organisms are made up of cells that, at
the same time as having a life of its own, perform
functions that maintain the life of the whole
organism.
The earth is like a great organism in which each
part fulfills a function to make it a stable and
habitable place.
In addition, the earth, like the other
planets, while rotating on its own axis to
guarantee its own stability, describes an
orbit around the sun, thus forming the solar
system.
The solar system, as a unit, rotates around
the center of the galaxy, constituting an even
larger structure.
In a similar way, human beings, while
pursuing the satisfaction of their individual
needs, unite with each other in forming
families, communities, nations and
communities of nations.
All individual entities unite to form units of increasingly large individuals

If the purpose of all beings and things
were exclusively their own conservation,
growth and development —or the struggle
for survival, as the Darwinists say— how is
it possible that in the universe all beings
and things are so interrelated and
interconnected?
How could it have been possible for the
universe to be constituted from small units
that were grouped into ever larger and
more complex units to form a great
interconnected organism?
If the only purpose of the particles had been
their own existence, why did they come
together through reciprocal interactions to form
atoms? If the only purpose of atoms had been to
maintain their own stability, why did they join
other atoms by chemical bonds to form
molecular structures?
If the purpose of the cells were exclusively
their own survival, how was it possible that
multicellular organisms were formed in which all
cells cooperate in order to maintain the life of
the whole organism?
How could be all so interconnected if there were only the
individual end of one's own survival?

«There are dual purposes here: one is to maintain oneself,
and the other to become part of the larger self, which is the
universe. (…) Let us look at the example of our eyes.The eye
has the purpose of self-existence, but also of serving the
whole body.The ear has to operate automatically, but it also
helps the whole. (…).
How could the universe be interrelated? It is because all
individuals have dual objectives: one is to protect the self and
the other to make sure the self combines with another self to
make a bigger self.The theory of evolution understands
individual purpose of self-preservation, although it does not
grasp the ultimate purpose of the whole.»
Sun Myung Moon, Myself, January 13, 1980.
Sun Myung Moon,
in this quote, abound
in this view claiming
that all beings are
interconnected by
these two purposes.
How could the universe be interrelated? It is because all individuals have
dual purposes

It is evident that the particles are configured to
preserve their own stability, and at the same time
to bond together and form atoms. Likewise,
atoms are made to maintain their inner bond, and
at the same time to join other atoms and form
molecules.
The chemical elements were also configured in
advance, not only to maintain their internal
cohesion, but to constitute solar systems and
galaxies.
In our solar system, for example, the earth’s
rotation movement on its own axis has the
individual purpose of guaranteeing its own
stability, while the movement of revolution
around the sun fulfills the common purpose of
maintaining cohesion and guaranteeing the
stability of the solar system as a whole.
Moreover, it can be said that the inanimate world,
from the microscopic particles to the macroscopic
planetary structures, does not exist exclusively to
guarantee its own existence and stability, but is also
preconfigured to allow a first living cell to appear.
In the same way, the cells were made not only to
preserve their life, but to constitute numerous and
varied living organisms, which are made up of
millions of cells.
For example, the exchange of elements between
the nucleus and the cytoplasm within a cell, and the
cell with its external environment have the
individual purpose of maintaining its existence,
while their interactions with other cells within the
various organs of the organism, fulfill the common
purpose of maintaining the life of the whole
organism.
Individual purpose and purpose for the whole

PURPOSE FORTHE
WHOLE
ALL INDIVIDUAL
ENTITIES
Maintaining one's own existence and individual stability
Preserving and strengthening the individual
Seek individual well-being or happiness
Form larger units or ensembles
Contribute to the existence and stability of the whole
Preserve and strengthen the whole
Seek common good and happiness
Particles
INDIVIDUAL
PURPOSE
Atoms Molecules
Satellites Planets and stars Solar system Galaxies
Cells Organs and limbs Body
Individuals Families Communities Nations World
Molecular
Structures
Individual purpose and purpose for the whole

These purposes, both the individual and
common ones, are not imposed or forced by
something external, but rather dictated from
within by the very nature or constitution of beings
and things, which are preconfigured to fulfill them
in a natural way, as if they were pieces that are
made to fit together.
Not only that, but all individuals are internally
endowed with forces, impulses, instincts, desires
or aspirations that move them to fulfill these two
purposes, in some cases in an unconscious or
automatic way, in others in a semiconscious or
instinctive way, and in others in a conscious and
voluntary way.
The dual purposes are not imposed externally, but dictated from within the
very nature of each entity

In the case of human beings, the impulse
towards cooperation with the aim of a common
good is as natural and innate as the impulse
toward self-preservation.
In this sense, ancient philosophers like
Aristotle and the Stoics were right in saying that
man is a social animal and that nature has made
men one for each other, to collaborate, as if they
were the two hands of the same body, or the
rows of upper and lower teeth of the mandible.
Human beings are not by nature selfish beings
who associate each other only by fear or
helplessness, as Hobbes said.The motive that
drives men to associate and collaborate is not
only to be able to better satisfy individual needs.
The human being has an innate desire or impulse
not only to form families and communities but also
to be useful to others, to do things for the benefit of
others, and to contribute to the common good.
This tendency can also be seen in animals, since
they do not only possess a survival instinct that
encourages them to seek food, but also have a
sexual instinct that induces them to meet in pairs
and have offspring, and a strong maternal instinct
that drives them to care for, feed and protect their
offspring.
Even particles, atoms, molecules, chemical
elements, suns and planets are also urged by
internal forces —in this case already in an
unconscious and automatic way— to self-organize
or form ever larger or complex systems.
The natural impulse towards cooperation with the goal of a common good

Moreover, just as the concept of
individual is relative, so the concepts of
individual purpose and purpose for the
whole are also relative.
Since what is a common purpose at a
certain level of interactions between two
individuals fulfills the function of individual
purpose from the point of view of the higher
unit or individual constituted by those
individuals.
And what is an individual purpose, when
descending to a lower level, is the common
purpose between the parts or entities that
make up the individual.
It could be said that there is something
like a chain of interactions and purposes
that are grouping or integrating
individuals into ever larger sets.
Therefore, these two purposes, the
individual and the whole, are intertwined
and, therefore, inseparable.
In this way, all the individual entities of
the universe form a gigantic individual or
organism interwoven through these two
dual purposes.
All the creatures of the universe form a vast organic body interwoven by
these dual purposes

Universality of dual purposes
Purpose for the
WholeIndividual
Purpose
S O S O S O S O
Purpose for the Whole
Individual
Purpose

«There cannot be any individual purpose
which does not support the whole
purpose, nor can there be any whole
purpose that does not guarantee the
interests of the individual. The infinite
variety of beings in the universe form one
vast organic body interwoven by these
dual purposes.»
Divine Principle, Part I, Chap. I, Sec. III, 1.
COMPLEMENTARITY BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL PURPOSE AND
PURPOSE FOR THE WHOLE
Both purposes, although
they seem at first glance
contradictory, are actually
complementary.
This is very well expressed
in this quote from the Divine
Principle.

«It is necessary, then, that we all walk in this
assumption: that the utility of each in particular and
the universal is one,and if anyone wants to usurp it,
human society will be destroyed.
If the same nature prescribes that a man looks for
another, whoever he may be, just because he is a
man like himself, it is necessary that, according to
nature, the utility of everybody be common.»
Cicerón, Los oficios o los deberes, Editorial Porrúa, México,
1990, p. 72.
“The utility of each in particular and the universal is one”
Cicero abounds in
this same opinion as
you can see in this
quote:

Both purposes, although they seem at first
glance contradictory, are actually complementary.
On the one hand, the immediate aim of the
individual purpose is to guarantee the existence of
the individual.Thus, in our case, it drives us to
satisfy the basic material needs for our subsistence.
It also induces us to acquire knowledge and develop
innate talents. However, the indirect or subsequent
goal of this is to contribute better to our families
and communities.
If individuals, driven by an extreme individualism,
seek only their own interest, they will not only
deteriorate and fragment the whole, but ultimately
will cause their self-destruction.
On the other hand, the ultimate purpose of
the whole is to protect, benefit and serve
individuals. For this reason, parents —who are
the representatives of the whole family— when
having children, they are like servants of their
children working hard to support them.
Political leaders —as representatives of the
whole society— should also be civil servants
working to benefit all members of society.
If the whole or its representatives abuse of
its authority, mistreat or destroy individuals, in
the end the whole will end up destroying itself.
An individual who contributes to the whole, in the long run benefits himself, and
a whole that protects and empowers the individuals in the end benefits itself

Principle of universality and complementarity of individual
purpose and the purpose for the whole. All beings and things have
the individual purpose of preserving their own existence while having
at the same time the purpose for the whole that drives them to form
ever larger units and contribute to the maintenance and cohesion of
the whole. Both aims are not contradictory but complementary,
because the ultimate goal of strengthening and improving the
individual is to be able to contribute better to the whole, and the
ultimate goal of maintaining and reinforcing the whole is to protect
and benefit individuals.
PRINCIPLE OF DUAL PURPOSES

 The metaphor of the organism or
system to describe society
 The historical misuse of organicist
and mechanistic metaphors
 The metaphor of the law of the
jungle applied to human society
 Principle of order
THE UNIVERSALITY OF ORDER IN NATURE AND HUMAN
SOCIETY

Societies and nations composed
of families resemble an organism
composed of cells, which, while
preserving their individual
existence, collaborate together in
order to maintain the life of the
organism as a whole.
They likewise resemble the
planetary system, in which planets,
while rotating on their axes to
maintain their own stability,
revolve around the sun in order to
preserve the stability and cohesion
of the whole.
The metaphor of the organism or system to describe society
The difference between an organism, the planetary
system, and human society is that in the first two the
positions and functions of the individual parts or
entities are fixed, and their interrelationships are
governed automatically or instinctively by mechanical
or biological laws.
Whereas in human societies —because human
beings possess a unique individuality and the highest
degree of autonomy and creativity— social positions
and functions are interchangeable and flexible, and
the interrelationships between individuals and
families are reciprocal exchanges of love, knowledge,
goods and services that are performed in a free,
responsible and creative way.

However, the metaphor should not be
applied literally but only in an analogical
way, since humans are not machine parts,
cells or ants that have fixed positions or
functions within a machine, organism or
colony.
The metaphor simply illustrates the
fact that human individuals are made to
fulfill, at the same time and
harmoniously, the purpose of preserving
their own individual existence and the
purpose of serving the whole.
But the way human beings have to
fulfill these two purposes is radically
different from the rest of creatures and
things.
That is, the human individual is made to help
others or serve his family, community, nation or
world on his own initiative, and in a free and
responsible manner.
Here lies the moral value and the human
superiority over the rest of the creatures and things,
because would have any moral value someone who
sacrificed for the common good compelled by force?
We are not machine parts nor ants of a colony

Unfortunately, if you study history, the
individual purpose and purpose for the
whole has not always been harmonized.
Many ancient societies, literally resembling
human society to an organism, justified
social inequality or segregation in fixed and
hereditary classes, tyranny, exploitation of
the people, abuses of power, and
deprivation of individuals of their freedom.
More recent totalitarianisms, using the
metaphors of social machinery governed by
inexorable iron laws that completely
condition individuals, not only limited
individual freedoms but massacred millions
of people for the sake of a supposed
common good.
The historical misuse of organicist and mechanistic metaphors
These serious social evils occur when the rulers —that
is, the representatives of the whole— motivated by
ambitions of power or personal greatness, fail miserably
in their mission to protect and enhance the value of
individuals, causing damage not only to them but also,
in the long run, the destruction of the unjust social
system or political regime established by them.

At the opposite extreme is the metaphor
used by social Darwinists —much rooted in
modern capitalism— that compares society to a
jungle in which all individuals and enterprises
struggle for their survival by devouring each
other, so that only the strongest and fittest are
destined for success, while the weakest and
most disabled are destined for failure and
extinction.
An extreme and selfish individualism that
corrodes and destroys families, social fabrics
and society as a whole ends up corrupting and
destroying individuals themselves, as can be
seen in today's democratic societies.
In short, the individual purpose and the
purpose for the whole are not two
contradictory purposes that are in continuous
tension or struggle with each other but, on the
contrary, are two complementary and
interdependent purposes.
If they are fulfilled at the same time, they can
intertwine individuals, families, social groups
and society as a whole, creating a united
organism in which all its parts cooperate
harmoniously for a common good, which also
has repercussions for the benefit of each
individual.
The metaphor of the law of the jungle applied to human society

Principle of the universality of order, both
in nature and human society, created by the
maintenance and performance by each
individual entity of different positions, roles
and functions.
PRINCIPLE OF ORDER

 The Gaia hypothesis
 The earth is like a great interrelated
living organism in which minerals,
plants and animals collaborate
together in the appearance of the
higher forms of life
 Humans as the ultimate fruit,
masterpiece and center of the
universe, whose mission is to care for
the earth and live in harmony with the
rest of living beings
INTERDEPENDENCE AND MUTUAL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE
DIFFERENT LIVING ORGANISMS AND PHYSICAL SYSTEMS OF NATURE

Interdependence and mutual cooperation between the different
living organisms and physical systems of nature
Not only are humans integrated into
the whole human society, and animals in
populations and colonies, and cells in
organisms, and planets and the sun in the
solar system, but all physical systems and
communities of organisms living in nature
are interdependent and cooperate with
each other, forming a superorganism.
The inanimate world made up of
atoms, molecules, planets and stars was
not only preconfigured to ultimately
contribute to the stability of the solar
system and galaxies, but was also
designed for the ulterior purpose of
creating an ecological niche or cradle for
the emergence of life.
The value of the constant of the law of gravity, the
distance between the earth and the sun, the value of
the forces of attraction and repulsion that bind atoms,
and many other numerical values, made it possible for
several very simple elements —and curiously the most
abundant ones— such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen,
carbon, carbon dioxide and water to collaborate in a
surprising way to create the proper environment for the
appearance of the first unicellular microorganisms.
But what is most astonishing is that these first
single-celled microorganisms will actively collaborate
with those chemical elements in order to transform the
composition of the Earth’s atmosphere and soil in order
to create the environment and the appropriate
conditions for the appearance of the new multicellular
organisms.

Davies comments in the following quote the famous Gaia hypothesis de Lovelock that comes to say that
the earth is like a great living organism that self-regulates itself.
«Lovelock contemplated the fact
that over geological timescales the
presence of life on Earth has profoundly
modified the environment in which that
same life flourishes. For example, the
presence of oxygen in our atmosphere
is a direct result of photosynthesis of
plants. (…)
This transformation in the chemical
make-up of the Earth’s atmosphere was
most felicitous because it matched
rather precisely the increasing output
of heat from the Sun.As the Sun grew
hotter, so the carbon dioxide blanket
was gradually eaten away by life.
Furthermore, the oxygen produced an ozone layer in
the upper atmosphere that blocked out the dangerous
ultra-violet rays. Hitherto life was restricted to the
oceans.With the protection of the ozone layer it was
able to flourish in the exposed conditions on land.
The fact that life acted in such a way as to maintain
the conditions needed for its own survival and progress
is a beautiful example of self-regulation. It has a
pleasing teleological quality to it. It is as though life
anticipated the threat and acted to forestall it. Of
course, one must resist the temptation to suppose that
biological processes were guided by final causes in a
specific way.»
Paul Davies, The Cosmic Blueprint, Templeton Foundation Press,
USA, 2004, pp. 131-132.

This theory was condemned as a heresy by most Darwinian
biologists because, as Lovelock explicitly states in the
following quote, it implies that the chemical elements and
microorganisms cooperated for a purpose that went beyond
their individual ends of maintaining its own existence.
However, it is now a fact accepted by all scientists that the
constitution of the Earth's atmosphere and soil was a result of
a cooperation between chemical elements and living
organisms.
And if there was a cooperation it is evident that it was not
by chance, or by a natural selection produced by a struggle for
survival between organisms and chemical elements, but it
took place because there was a ulterior purpose behind it.
In other words, it happened because there was an inner
force or impulse within both parts that induced them to fulfill
a purpose for the benefit of the whole.
The Gaia hypothesis

«The Gaia hypothesis, when we
exposed it in the 1970s, assumed
that the Earth's atmosphere,
oceans, climate and crust are in a
state fit for life due to the
behavior of living organisms
themselves. (...) For many
scientists,Gaia was a teleological
concept that needed to be
foresight and planned by the
biota.
How could bacteria, trees and
animals have a meeting to decide
what the optimal conditions
were?
How could organisms maintain
oxygen at a level of 21 percent and
average temperature at 20oC? By not
observing any mechanism of planetary
control they denied its existence as
phenomenon and claimed that the
Gaia hypothesis was teleological.
This was the final sentence. In the
academic world teleological
explanations [based on intentional
intelligent designs] are a sin against
the holy spirit of scientific rationality;
they deny the objectivity of nature.»
James Lovelock, Las edades de Gaia,
Tusquets Editores, Barcelona, 1993, pp. 33,46.
The Gaia
hypothesis

As Lovelock explains in his book The Ages
of Gaia, using the example of the cycles of
oxygen and carbon dioxide, this co-
operation between the mineral, vegetable,
and animal world occurred and continually
happens in nature.
Between plants, animals and minerals
there are constant relationships of mutual
cooperation and exchanges of elements.
Plants absorb the minerals from the earth
and transform them into organic matter
with the help of solar energy, by
photosynthesis, while absorbing carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing
oxygen.
Animals feed on that organic matter made
by plants and breathe by absorbing the oxygen
they give off. In return, they give off the carbon
dioxide that plants need, and when they die
they enrich the soil with organic nutrients that
serve as fertilizer for plants.
In addition to this, plants with colorful
flowers with striking shapes attract the insects
that help them in their fertilization process by
transporting the their pollen from and
receiving in return their nectar..
The earth is like a great interrelated living organism in which minerals, plants and
animals collaborate together in the appearance of the higher forms of life

It is evident that —although animals consume
plants— between plants and animals there is no
struggle for survival, but elements are exchanged,
they need each other, and, as Lovelock says, they
could not exist without each other.
Actually, plants are not made solely for their
individual survival, or only for their species or the
whole plant world, but for the ulterior purpose of
serving the animal world, and the animal world is
not made for itself but for serving the vegetable
world.
And the mineral, vegetable, and animal world
are made for the ultimate purpose of serving
human beings. In fact, they all have collaborated
to transform the earth and create favorable
circumstances for us to appear.

Just as microorganisms collaborated with the gases in order to
create a niche or environment for plants, and plants opened the
way for the first terrestrial animals, so the different species,
which emerged in a staggered way, collaborated and prepared
the ground and the means for the emergence of human beings,
which are the ultimate fruit of that evolution, as Dobzhansky
himself —a dedicated advocate of the Darwinian theory— admits:
«Evolution resembles an artistic creation. Its masterpiece is
man.»
This can be seen by the direction of evolution, in which
organisms with increasing levels of consciousness and mental
processes gradually appear, and with an increasing autonomy and
creativity until culminating in human beings.
T. Dobzhansky, «El azar y la creatividad en la evolución», en Estudios sobre la
filosofía de la biología, F. J. Ayala yT. Dobzhansky, Ariel, Barcelona, 1983, p. 428.
“Evolution resembles an artistic creation. Its masterpiece is man”

Thus, one could say that the ulterior purpose of the mineral,
vegetable and animal world was to create the environment and
conditions necessary for the appearance of the human species.
But, this does not mean that the human being is the
dominator that can exploit or use at will to the rest of the living
beings, as he has unfortunately done so far. Rather, there
should be mutual cooperation and interdependence between
humans and nature.
That is, the earth, plants and animals are made to serve
human beings, and, on the other hand, human beings are also
made to serve and care for the earth and the rest of living
beings.
We could say that the earth is like the belly of a great mother
and that we live within assimilating and absorbing its elements
continually.Therefore, if we hurt that belly we hurt ourselves.
The earth is like the belly of a great mother

The whole of the natural world —in which we
are integrated— is like a great intertwined and
interdependent organism, in which all the parts
collaborate fulfilling a vital function for the
survival and happiness of the whole.
For this reason, when a part is destroyed or
deteriorated, the rest of the organism suffers
the consequences. For example, if we
contaminate the atmosphere, rivers, seas and
land, or destroy forests and animal species, we
will suffer the consequences ourselves.
Animals and plants are not machines or things,
but they are beings that have a certain degree of
consciousness and intelligence very similar to ours.
They have their own individual ends and for the
whole of their species.
Therefore, we should treat them as if they were
our brothers or cousins, and even try to
communicate with them. And to sacrifice them only
for a higher purpose, such as serving basic human
needs, not for selfish reasons, for pleasure or for
profit reasons.
The natural world is like a great intertwined and interdependent organism in
which all the parts collaborate fulfilling a vital function for the survival and
happiness of the whole.

This view agrees with most of
the religious and philosophical
traditions of the past that regard
human beings as the ultimate fruit
of the universe and place it in a
privileged position as children of
God and lords of creation whose
mission is to love, care and live in
harmony with all the creatures of
nature.
This view is well illustrated in
the following quotes from the
Divine Principle, and Sun Myung
Moon:
«We become intoxicated with the beauty of the natural
world and experience the rapture of mystical union. We
experience this because we are the center of the internal
natures of all things in the natural world. Human beings are
thus created as the center of the universe, and the place
where God and human beings become completely one is the
center of the cosmos.»
Divine Principle, Part I, Chap. I, Sec. II, 4, (4).
«To fulfill the ideal of love, God made all creatures and
placed human beings at the center of the universe. We are
called the lords of creation because we have the privilege of
receiving God's love first.Then, as representatives of the God
of love, we are in the central position, acting for the sake of
the entire created world.»
Sun Myung Moon, Speech Collection Books, Seoul, HSA-UWC, 132:246 (June 20,
1984).
Humans as the ultimate fruit, masterpiece and center of the universe, whose mission
is to care for the earth and live in harmony with the rest of living beings

Humans as the ultimate fruit, masterpiece and center of the universe, whose mission
is to care for the earth and live in harmony with the rest of living beings
Molecules
Particles
Atoms Minerals
Vegetables
Energy Animals
God
Human
beings

The Individual and the Whole book 1 chap 6

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The Individual and the Whole book 1 chap 6